You see those green sub shirts everywhere in the Southeast. Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas—it doesn't matter. Publix is a juggernaut. But if you try to pull up a ticker symbol on Robinhood to check the value of Publix stock, you're going to hit a wall.
There is no P-U-B-L ticker.
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The most important thing to understand is that Publix is the largest employee-owned company in the United States. That changes the "value" conversation entirely. You aren't looking at a price driven by day traders or high-frequency algorithms. Instead, the price is set by the board of directors based on an independent valuation.
As of the most recent update effective November 1, 2025, the value of Publix stock is $20.40 per share.
How the $20.40 Price Actually Happens
Most people assume stocks just "go up" because people like the company. With Publix, it's a bit more clinical. Because the stock isn't traded on the Nasdaq or the NYSE, an independent appraiser has to look at the books. They compare Publix to "peer group" companies—think Kroger, Walmart, and Ahold Delhaize.
If the peer group has a rough quarter on Wall Street, it can drag down the Publix valuation, even if Publix itself is printing money. That's exactly what happened recently.
In August 2025, the stock was sitting at $21.15. Then, on November 1, it dipped to $20.40. Why? It wasn't because people stopped buying Pub Subs. It was largely due to a shift in how the market valued grocery retailers and the performance of that specific peer group.
The Dividend Factor
While the share price fluctuates, the dividends are the secret sauce for long-term "Publix millionaires." On January 2, 2026, the board declared a quarterly dividend of 11.05 cents per share.
- Payable Date: February 2, 2026
- Record Date: January 15, 2026
- Current Annualized Yield: Roughly 2.17% (based on the $20.40 price)
For an associate who has been with the company for twenty years and sits on 50,000 shares, that's over $5,500 in cash every three months just for holding the stock. Honestly, that’s where the real wealth is built in this company.
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Can You Even Buy It?
Here’s the part that frustrates outsiders. You can’t buy it. Unless you work there or sit on the board, you’re locked out.
Publix has stayed private since George Jenkins founded it. They don't need Wall Street's money. They have over $17 billion in cash and short-term investments sitting on their balance sheet as of late 2025. They literally pay for new store construction and land with cash.
To get your hands on the stock, you basically have three paths:
- The PROFIT Plan: This is the big one. After a year of working at least 1,000 hours, Publix essentially gives you stock. It’s a gift.
- The 401(k) SMART Plan: You can choose to have your retirement contributions invested in Publix stock.
- Employee Stock Purchase Plan: After one year, you can use your own money to buy shares during specific "offering periods."
The 5-for-1 Split Legacy
If you're looking at historical charts and wondering why the stock was $70 a few years ago and is $20 now, don't panic. You didn't lose 70% of your money.
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In April 2022, Publix executed a 5-for-1 stock split. If you had 100 shares at $68, you suddenly had 500 shares at $13.60. The total value stayed the same, but it made the "entry fee" for new employees much more affordable. Since that split, the value of Publix stock has climbed from that $13.60 mark to the current $20.40.
That is roughly a 50% increase in less than four years. Not bad for a "boring" grocery store.
Real Numbers: The 2025 Performance
The financials are public even if the stock isn't. You can go to the SEC website and look up their 10-Q filings. In the third quarter of 2025, Publix did $15.4 billion in sales. That is a 5.2% jump from the year before.
Net earnings for the first nine months of 2025 hit $3.6 billion.
There's a catch, though. Because Publix holds a massive portfolio of other stocks (equity securities), their "official" net income bounces around wildly based on what the rest of the stock market is doing. If the S&P 500 drops, Publix has to report an "unrealized loss," which makes their earnings look smaller than they actually are from a grocery perspective.
Smart investors look at the "excluding impact of fair value adjustment" line. When you strip away the market noise, Publix’s core business is incredibly healthy.
What Most People Get Wrong About the "Value"
Most people think a company's value is just its price. For Publix associates, the value is the forced savings. Because you can't easily sell the stock—you usually have to wait until you leave the company or hit a specific retirement age—it prevents people from panic selling. When the price dropped from $21.15 to $20.40 in November, nobody was calling their broker to sell. They just kept bagging groceries and stocking shelves.
This "locked-in" nature is why you hear stories of humble meat cutters retiring with $2 million. They didn't "play" the market. They just accumulated shares for 30 years and let the dividends reinvest.
Actionable Insights for the Value of Publix Stock
If you are a current employee or looking to become one, here is how you should view the current $20.40 valuation:
- Don't time the buy: Since the price only changes a few times a year (usually March, May, August, and November), trying to "buy the dip" is nearly impossible. If you are eligible to buy, just buy.
- Watch the Peer Group: If you want to guess where the price is going, look at Kroger (KR) and Costco (COST). If they are getting hammered by Wall Street, expect the Publix price to stay flat or dip, even if local sales are great.
- Maximize the PROFIT Plan: Never leave hours on the table. Make sure you hit that 1,000-hour mark annually to ensure your free stock allocation.
- Check your Beneficiaries: This is the "boring" expert advice nobody follows. If the value of your account is growing, make sure your beneficiary info on the Publix Stockholder Online portal is actually current.
The value of Publix stock isn't just a number on a ledger. It's a reflection of a very specific, very conservative business model that prizes long-term stability over quarterly fireworks. It’s not a get-rich-quick scheme; it’s a get-rich-eventually plan.